Questions From A Distance – The Enemy Within

(pic) Palace of Westminster, London. Picture: Paul Heaney, 2021

Sometimes we cannot see the wood for the trees. So, it would behove us to take a step back. In this way, stepping out of our current entrenchments and belief systems could be useful. So, let’s use some ‘what if’ scenarios that might be helpful to understand the dangers we might be in …

The process of compromise

What if, a nation’s government becomes the terrorist? Just imagine what such a corrupt government might do? More than likely they will use diversion tactics. Using all the powers of its institutions to persuade its people that the threat is coming from some other source, whom its people fears most perhaps, or who its people have been persuaded to fear most. Perhaps that same source is precisely those who can clearly see the real threat, that of the terrorist government itself. So, they turn that group into the supposed enemy. It is an inversion of the truth.

But it tends to work, as we have seen, as the authority, respect and trust that a government tends to command is powerful, and in many people’s view, unquestionable. That is in itself dangerous of course, but people largely tend to trust the government apparatus and channels to look after them. Its as if we have been educated not to question. Or perhaps, dummed down. But that may be going to far, you think? Aside from the fact that there is a real life Rockefeller playbook which advocates training the people for the workforce of course, fanciful, but still, such an influential family should be given the attention they deserve, surely?

The corporate card

Talking money and influence aside, this game works partly on deference to officialdom and that bastion of power, the professional façade, as a cultural norm, based on not just decades, but centuries of trust and deference to authoritative figures and groups, where the larger and more established group tend to have gained the trust of people over time. People also largely tend to let those that have supposedly been elected, get on with it. We confer and invest power to power, and trust our power will be well and wisely used and respected.

Not your typical terrorist

People should understand the extent of the threat and danger when a government is taken over by terrorists, albeit going under another name of course. It is not the demonstrable men with guns and typical terrorist groups we have to consider or imagine here, it may be corporate terrorism. It might be a representative of a business, or a highly influential, wealthy or powerful individual or one representing a powerful interest group. Perhaps perceived as irresistible, whether through charm or bribery or whether intimidation and threats are used against one’s family or suchlike.

If the government Ministers and representatives are then compromised, they effectively become a tool of a special interest group agenda. The well meaning politician has now changed his spots, and is now a compromised government representatives who falls into the camp of those who feign to be the guardians of the people. By degrees of degradation, of this same tactic being applied to the minions and key players in government who are useful or important players for the special interest group to gain influence and power themselves, once sufficient numbers have been compromised within the State’s government, tyranny then takes a hold of the country, at first unbeknownst to the population.

Questions

What if the government was the terrorist? What would we do? What should we do? What are we capable of? What are the limitations of our potential action? Does the action required depend on the extent of the degree of censorship? On the degree of corruption? On the degree of obfuscation, on the degree of mistreatment? On the degree of the dangerous lies espoused by the sham protector of the people? What would you do? In the position of one who knows, is there moral imperative to act on that knowledge? Or would that just been setting yourself up as a sitting duck, for them to take aim?

Targeted final solutions

The targeting could come in the form of intimidation, ridicule, police harassment, threats of career melding and blocking of caeer paths, revelations of evidence or made-up and planted evidence of misdemeanours that would shame a person. Or legal action and false imprisonment, through a corrupt or compromised justice system through the heavy hand of influence on lawyers, barristers or judges, in much the same way. Or worse, an elimination, utilising the intelligence services, or hired assassins. Let’s face it, the weapons of choice are manifold these days, and some of the exotic options would sound so fantastical so as not to be believed. Such tactics largely coming out of military funded projects and departments.

So, dealing with such potentials of threat to our way of life and governments are fraught with dangers. Potentials for compromising the would-be champion or whistle-blower (remember Julian Assange?), would require qualities of determination, tenacity and great courage, or bloody-mindedness, probably from the degree of anger sustained from personal experience or loss of family and suchlike.

Who is the hero?

Of course, perhaps the bigger question is, who would take on such a challenge, especially knowing the risks? Perhaps it is a job for the largely ignorant of the dangers. Or it is the common all garden citizen, the likes of you and me, who perhaps collectively, in larger numbers, could coalesce, and gain moral support and courage, if not tactical support, to win the day, and return your nation back to its rightful owners, the people. Question … would you take up such a challenge? And if not you, then who?

Paul Heaney, January 2023